Maybe This Christmas Tree

1	Happy Christmas (War Is Over) / The Polyphonic Spree 4:18
2	The Christmas Song / The Raveonettes 2:15
3	Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) / Death Cab for Cutie 3:05
4	I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day / Pedro the Lion 4:40
5	Bittersweet Eve / Belasana 4:51
6	Christmas Time Is Here / Ivy 2:56
7	Baby It's Cold Outside / Vicky Tafoya 3:25
8	Wonderful Christmastime / Tom McRae 4:10
9	Fairytale of New Your / Pilate 4:56
10	Jingle Bells / Lisa Loeb 3:21
11	Christmas for Cowboys / Jars of Clay 2:52
12	Do You Hear What I Hear? / Copeland 3:32

Barnes & Noble

Maybe This Christmas Tree -- the third installment in what's become an annual tradition of indie-pop holiday treats -- starts with a bang, as the two dozen or so members of the Polyphonic Spree give John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" all the anthemic power it deserves. The song is a joy, as is the rest of this pleasantly diverse collection of tunes, most of them previously unreleased. Although Denmark's Raveonettes and Belasana (a side project of members of the Juliana Theory and Sense Field) offer original Christmas songs, the focus this time is on covers and updates of traditional holiday carols. Death Cab for Cutie turn in a lovely rendition of the Phil Spector classic "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," the song's bittersweet desperation suiting them well. Although Royal Crown Revue bounce through a lively, retro-swing version of "Baby It's Cold Outside" and Copeland spike "Do You Hear What I Hear?" with electronic beats, many of the highlights come in the quieter ballads: Pedro the Lion's "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," Tom McRae's version of Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime," and Ivy's breathy cover of the "Peanuts" theme "Christmas Time Is Here." Maybe This Christmas Tree has nary a misstep: It's a perfect accompaniment for a late-evening eggnog, and as an added gift, part of the proceeds go to the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots program. Steve Klinge

All Music Guide

Nettwerk's Maybe This Christmas albums are starting to become tradition, not to mention that they keep getting better and better. Maybe This Christmas Tree picks up where Maybe This Christmas, Too left off in 2003 and introduces a new cast of indie rock and pop/rock favorites for another enjoyable holiday listen. Artists such as Pedro the Lion and Lisa Loeb do their own renditions of traditional Christmas carols while English singer/songwriter Tom McRae, swing revivalists Royal Crown Revue, and Jars of Clay cover classics by other artists. Death Cab for Cutie's charming sweetness of the Phil Spector treasure "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" goes out to all the indie rock kids. It was previously unavailable and exclusively recorded for this collection just like "Christmas Time Was Here" by Ivy. The indie pop outfit honors the Vince Guaraldi standard while dressing it up just a bit with Dominique Durand's warm vocal delight and Andy Chase's lilting string arrangements. The neo-psychedelic pop commune, the Polyphonic Spree reveres the John Lennon holiday hit "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" for a lovable holiday moment while the Raveonettes include their iTunes special, the velvety Spector-esque charm of "The Christmas Song." Fans young and old should enjoy Maybe This Christmas Tree. It's definitely Nettwerk's finest yuletide compilation yet. Like the music, the artwork done by Orange County native Shag goes retro, adding to the overall classy cool package. A portion of the proceeds made from Maybe This Christmas Tree once again goes to Toys for Tots, a charity supported by the U.S. Marine Corps. MacKenzie Wilson